Create synonym to all tables in a different database with a script

Question

Hi SQL Server gurus,

Is there an easy way to create synonyms to all tables in a different database?

thanks

EDIT: I have a number of stored procedures that hardcoded some table schemas into the select queries. When I copy the schemas to a new server, the SPs fail because the schema doesn't exist. There is little control I have over the destination server and I don't want to having to change all the SP, so I thought synonym may be a good solution.

Answer 1

It sounds like you want a linked server.

For creating synonyms see this article.

Answer 2

You could run a query like this on the original database, then run the output results on your new database.

select 'create synonym syn_' + t.name + ' for [' + DB_NAME() + '].[' + s.name + '].[' + t.name + ']' 
    from sys.tables t
        inner join sys.schemas s
            on t.schema_id = s.schema_id
    where t.type = 'U'

As an example, running this against the Master database would produce:

create synonym syn_spt_fallback_db for [master].[dbo].[spt_fallback_db]
create synonym syn_spt_fallback_dev for [master].[dbo].[spt_fallback_dev]
create synonym syn_spt_fallback_usg for [master].[dbo].[spt_fallback_usg]
create synonym syn_spt_monitor for [master].[dbo].[spt_monitor]
create synonym syn_spt_values for [master].[dbo].[spt_values]
create synonym syn_MSreplication_options for [master].[dbo].[MSreplication_options]

Answer 3

Create a stored procedure something like this:

CREATE PROCEDURE SynonymUpdate
   @Database nvarchar(256), -- such as 'linkedserver.database' or just 'database'
   @Schema sysname -- such as 'dbo'
AS
CREATE TABLE #Tables (
   TableID int identity(1,1) NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY CLUSTERED,
   Table_Name sysname
)
DECLARE
   @SQL nvarchar(4000),
   @ID int
SET @SQL = N'SELECT Table_Name FROM ' + @Database + '.INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES WHERE Table_Schema = @TableSchema'
INSERT #Tables EXEC sp_executesql @SQL, N'@TableSchema sysname', @Schema
SELECT @ID = MAX(TableID) FROM #Tables
WHILE @ID > 0 BEGIN
   SELECT @SQL = 'CREATE SYNONYM ' + Table_Name + ' FOR ' + @Database + '.' + @Schema + '.' + Table_Name FROM #Tables WHERE TableID = @ID
   PRINT @SQL
   --EXEC sp_executesql @SQL
   SET @ID = @ID - 1
END

Then run it like this:

EXEC SynonymUpdate 'Database' , 'dbo'

Note that you have to run this as a user with the privilege of creating synonyms. If you want a user without those privileges to run it, in SQL 2000 no luck, in SQL 2005 you can put an EXECUTE AS clause in there.